Engine-starting system.



1, H: HUNT.

ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM. APPucAhoN FILED run a. 1914.

1,259,744. Patented Mar. 19,1918..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- J. H. HUNT ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM. Armenian mun JU| .Y a. 1914.

1,259,744. mm Mar.1.9,191&

z smears-sun 2.

| l l l l l l I l l ing. said switc'h'with the starting lever 13, so that said switch will be actuated when the starting lever is, actuated.

In order to prevent theaccidentalopera tion of the starting device owing to inadvertant actuation of the starting lever, I provide the starting lever with a locking device which must be released by the operator before said lever canbe'actuated. 18 is a stationary locking'meniber mounted on the starting device and formed with a locking'notch 20. The starting'lever is hollow, and a rod 21 (Fig. 2) is arranged in the bore thereof and provided with a locking projection 22-which is adapted to been gaged under spring pressure with the. aforesaid notch 20 to lock the lever in its normal position. In order to start the engine, the operator presses the upper end of the rod 21 against the action of its spring 23', thereby depressing said rod and releasing the locking projectionQQ from the notch. The

operator is then ableto shift the starting lever from neutral position to starting position. v 1

It is desirable that the starting device shall operate with initial movement before it is coupled with the engine to facilitate the, enmeshnient oi the toothedpinions, and

various methods of accomplishing this are the rod 21 to release the projection 22 frond the lockingnotch 20, the end of saidrod 21 comes against a spring contact, arm 2 l'and presses it against a stationary contact 25," thereby 1 simultaneously closing said auxiliary circuit and releasing the starting lever from its, locking mechanism- When the starting device is thus caused to rotate slowly, the starting lever is thrown over to starting "position, as described above; the

starting device is connected with the engine, and the selective switch 15 1s simultaneously actuated to shift the electrical connections so that the machine will operate as a motor with high torque effect when it is coupled. with the engine.

' In order to drive the chine as a generator at. a relatlvely low speed, a :second coiniection provided be tween it and. theenginaand this may con sist ofa chain or belt connection, or toothed y gearingf 'As shown I provide a belt pulley" 26 on the "engine shaft, integral with the flywheel. JThe free end of the armature shaft:

ofthe dynamo electric machine is provided of the spring 51. same type as that referred to in the codynamo electric ma- 1 with a l roller clutch 27 which permits the armature of the electric machine to operate independently. of r the pulley 28, at such times as the speed ofthe-electric machine, operating as a motor, is greater than the speed of the engine. That is, this clutch is of the well known earn and roller type. In view of the fact that this type of clutch is well known, a detailed description. and illustration of the same is not deemed necessary in the present application. The armature shalt connected through said clutch with a belt pulleyQsS connected by a belt 29 with the aforesaid belt pulley 26 on the flywheel.

3 After the engine has been started by the actuation of the starting lever, the lever is returned to normal position by means of a spring 30, and the starting device is disconnected from the engine flywheel, owing to the withdrawal of the pinion 11 which engages withsaid flywheel. The machine is then driven as a low speed generator through the aforesaid belt connection.

In some cases I- find it more convenient to locate the pinion end of the generator and the speed reducing gearing toward the rear cylinder, in which case the aforesaid second transmission not connected to the engine shaft, but to the transmissionshaft between the engine clutch and the change speed gearing of the vehicle, or to some other suitably drivenv shafting. In this way I am able to, in certain circumstances, economize the space occupied by the start in g device.

I 1'11ay,it desired, provide amechanical interlock between the clutch pedal 31 and the atoresald startlng lever or starting pedal, such that the starting lever..-cannot be actuated unless the clutch is thrown out by depression, oi the clutch pedal, as shown in Fig. 2. .I prefer to provide the clutch pedal 31 with a traiiisverse portion 31 'proectmg i nto the path of the starting lever 13, so that said lever cannot be shifted until the pedal has been depressed and-the aforesaid port1o1'131 withdrawn from the path 031 the starting lever. I

The engine clutch, which is of the usual type, is disclosed in Fig. 1 and is normally maii'ltained in engaging position by means fins clutch is of the pending applications heretofore referred to.

Within the aforesaid casing 16 containing the starting device, I may also locate other devices incident to an engine starting system, as for instance, 'thevoltage regulator 32 ior controlling'the charging of the battery, and the cut out relay 33 for disconnecting the battery. under well known conditions. In this way all the important elements of the system may be grouped to- 'gether 111 an accesslble position instead beingscattered over the car.

By referring-to the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 3, it will be noted that when the operator desires to start the engine, his first operation is to depress the button 21, thereb closing contacts 2-4 and 25. This permits a how of current to pass from the battery 40, through wire 41 to the common-contact clement d2 of theswitch 15. I

The movable element- Moot the switch 15 is normally in the pSiti0n shown in dotted lines in the diagrammatic view in Fig. The current passes across this movable element 4a, to the stationary plate 45, thence across the generator armature-46 to the oppo site line wlre 47, back to the battery, via the conductor-.48, contactpla-tes '24 and '25 and wire 49.

The elfect of this operation is to actuate the electric machine as a motor, but with a reduced torque and speed efl'ect, as compared with the operation of the machine as a motor for starting purposes.

This slow initial movement of the electric machine tends to facilitate the coupling up of the shiftable gearing which includes the pinions 7 and 11, with the armature pinion 8 and the flywheel gear teeth 12 respectively.

The operator next depresses the pedal 31, which will tend to throw out the movable portion 51 of the engine clutch 50 and to also throw the lug 31 out of the path of travel of the lever 13. A further movement of the lever 13 will also actuate the movable element -14: of the switch 15 and throw the same into full line position shown in Fig. 3. This will break the initial motor circuit and tend to close a circuit from the battery 40, through line wire 41, contact plate 42, the movable switch element 44:, through the motor field winding 52, across the armature 53, back to the battery, via the line conductor These circuit connections will permit the electric machine to operate as a motor, and will effect a starting or cranking operation of the engine.

Now, as soon as the engine becomes selfactuating, the operator releases the lever 13, thereby returning the shiftable gearing which includes pinions 7 and 11, to norn'ial position shown in Fig. 1. This operation of the lever 13 will return the switch element H to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. and inasmuch as the operator has already released the button 21, the electric machine and the battery will be disconnected.

lion-ever, as soon as the engine becomes elf-actuating, it will tend to drive the elec' lric nmchine as :1 generator through the belt r nnrt'lion and the clutch 27.

The electric machine is then operating as :1 generator, and tends to charge current acl-z inlo the battery through the following; i-iz-c-Iit connections: from the armature 46, through the contacts 45 and ii and -12 of the switch 15, line wire ii, through the battery 40, across wire 49 through the relay device 33, thence back to the opposite side of the generator, via the conductor 4:7.

This generator is of the shunt wound type and'theret'cre a circuit will be set up through the shunt field winding (30, through the regulator and the rheostat unit 61.

In view of the fact that the electrical arrangements, per se, do not form a part of the present invention, further description thereof is deemed unnecessary While the form of mechanism herein shown and described constitutes a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that other forms might. be

adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In an engine starting system, the combination with an engine having a friction clutch; means for normally maintaining said clutch in driving position; a clutch controlling member operable to disengage said clutch from driving position; a starting de- \iCe for said engine; a controlling lever for said starting device: and a mechanical interlock between the controlling lever of the starting device and the clutch controlling member, so that the operation of the controlling lever for the starting device will be prevented, except at such times as the clutch controlling member is shifted to disengage the clutch from driving position.

2. In an engine starting device, the combination with an engine and a starting device therefor; of a controlling member for said starting device, a lever associated with said controlling member; means normally engaging said lever to latch the controlling member in normal position; and means operable by said lever when operated to unlatch the controlling member to effect an initial operation of the starting device.

3. In an engine starting system, the combination with an engine, and a Starting de vice therefor; shiftable elements for connecting the starting device and engine together for starting purposes; a control lever for shifting said shiftablc elements; means for imparting an initial operation to the starting device to facilitate the shifting of said elements; and means for locking the said control lever in inoperative position, except, when the means for imparting the initial movement of he starting device is operated.

i. In an engine starting device, the combination with an engine, including a clutch controlling member; of a starting device for said engine. in luding an electric motor having circuit connections; means for coupling the electric niolor and engine together for starting purposes: and a starting lever normally locked in inoperative position by means of the clutch controlling member, said starting lever being operable to make the motor circuit connections and to shift thevmeans for connecting up the engine and motor to ether, when the clutch controlling element. as been shifted into position to throw out the engine clutch.

5. In a starting system for engines, the combination with an engine, including a clutch controlling member; of a starting device, including an electric motor having circuit connections; switches for making and breaking said motor circuits; latching means for preventing the operation of one Copies. of this. patent may be obtained for controlling member has been actuated to throw out the engine clutch. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 111 the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. HUNT.

Witnesses:

OTTIS D. W. Fowmr; J. W. McDoNALD.

five cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

